Flexible material having temporary protecting means por its surface



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,495

E. LIONNE FLEXIBLE MATERI AL HAVING TEMPORARY PROTECTING MEANS FOR ITSSURFACE Filed May 24. 1920 Non-adh coaitmq jiiweii Zora Patented Aug.25, 1925.

UNITED STATES ERNEST LIONNE, OF NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS. I

FLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAvme TEMPORARY PROTECTING MEANS FOR ITS SURFACE.

Application filed May '24, 1926. Serial No. 383,674. d

vented an Improvement in a Flexible Mate rial HavingTemporary'Protecting Means for Its Surface, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a novel fabric or similar flexiblematerialwhich is adapted to enter into the composition of a manufacturedproduct as a shoe.

In the manufacture. of such a product as a shoe many manufacturingoperations are performed and the shoe undergoes-much handling before itis finally finished and in condition to be sold.

The outer surfaces of the shoe by reaso of the various manufacturingoperations and the handling, become soiled and must be cleaned beforethe shoe is salable. Attempts have been made to' protect the surface ofthe shoe during the manufacturing process as'by stitching a paper or thelike covering to the edges of the pieces as the vamp, uppers, etc.,entering into the shoe or applying other temporary protective coveringsadapted to receive the. soil and at the proper time removing theprotective covering with the soil thereon thereby to expose theprotected surface in its original state of cleanliness.

Such temporary protectivecoverings have been applied to the individualpieces entering into the manufacture of the finished product or to thesurface of the product at an intermediate stage of manufacture.

The object of this invention is to provide a novelfabric or the like inlarge sheets or in the Web havinga protective covering for that surfaceadapted subsequently to be exposed in the finished product in whichpieces of the novel fabric are incorporated. The protective covering ofthe novel fabric is adapted to adhereto the smal er pieces cut therefromduring the manufa ture of the article and receive the soil resultingfrom the manufacturing operations. At the proper time the protectivecovering is with the protective covering thereon, or

leather in whole skins or sides with the protective covering thereon, isadapted to be sold to shoe and other manufacturers who Will cut from theweb or sheets the smaller pieces or shapes to be incorporated in theshoe or other product. Atthe end of the manufacturing operation theprotective cover will be removed and thrown away.

The protective covering may comprise any one of a number of materials orsubstances which will present a relatively smooth outer face, so that"itwill not be come easily abraded, will be-flexible and pliable to bendwith the bodyof the fabric without becoming broken or becoming detachedfrom the surface, will be tough to resist unintentional tearing,extensible when such characteristic is desirable, and will be cheap.

Vhile I may employ, for the temporary protective covering, any of anumber of previously prepared sheets having suitable characteristics, Iprefer to employ a protective' covering formed as a film by coating overthe surface to be protected with a film producingv solution such aspyroxyline solution and subsequently remove the solvent from the coatingto form the sheet or film. The film may be deposited thereon to anysuitable thickness best adapted to the requirements of the particulararticle or product made from the novel ,material.

One of the characteristics of my invention is that the protectivecoating or film shall be relatively non-adherent to the surface coveredby it in order that it may be readily removed. The pyroxyline filmformed by the evaporation of the solvent from the solution will be byitself very adherent to the.

fabric surface and will cling thereto sof strongly that it can not, beremoved with facility. I, therefore, initially apply to the surface ofthe fabric of the material to be prote cted an initial coa 'ng adaptedto receive t film produ" solution and to which th film will adhere to agreater or less degree. The initial coating is in itself substantiallynon-adherent to the surface of the fabric. At least it Will besubstantially non-adherent as compared with the adherency of the filmitself to the fabric.

I prefer to employ, among a number of compositions'well adapted to formthe nonadherent coating, a composition formed of ing will be relativelythin and will which the next layer is formed, may be to bend with thebody-portion of the fabric a pigment in a finely divided state, asadapted to receive the soil-of the manufackaolin, china clay, aluminumoxide or hyturing operations. As contrasted with the drate and the like;a binder which may be non-adherent, pulverulent coating, which is a gumas gum tragacanth, dextrine and the adapted to have but slight tenac tyor ab lity like; and a vehicle as water, benzol and to resist ruptureand is relatively brittle, 7n the like. and the particles composingitbut weakly The proportions of a composition well adherent to each other,the outer soil-readapted for my purpose may comprise ceiving coating'orfilm is adapted to be nonpulverulent, tough and tenacious and tear Waterand wear-l' ga and extenslble when Gum 2 needed. PigmeiifiILII 40 Thesolution a p to form Such a coating is applied over the conditioningcoating by suitable means, as a coating knife, to

form a film or coating of suitable thickness, and the coating is driedby suitable means, formed thereby to the specificmaterial to as b d i ub d i h b which pro ec ion 1 g The novel material is now prepared and TOOIIIPOSItIOII 18 pp e uniformly on may be formed into a roll orotherwise arthe surface of the material y sulmble ranged and is incondition to be cut up into means as a coating knife and to theproperPropelpieces d shapes hi h ill b thicknesse Y the eoatmg 13 T9151 formedinto some manufactured product. tively thlIl SO that the composition(lOGS will be noted that the protective COV- more than the intersticesOf the e -ing is fo ed in tvvo distinct-Liv a layers and does not extendabove the rf e of each having different characteristics. The thematerial to ny appr i b g e h initial coating is formed from acomposition proportion of the composition and the in which the maincomponent, the pigment, gredients of the composi lon W be SO is insuspension and the coating formed ranged that when the new fabric isfinally th b i l l t, Th Substance I completed the outer coating or thefil W111 forming the final coating is deposited from have the properdegree f dh i' yltfilld a solution and the coatingis tough and in someinstances that it may e advlsable tenacious and presents a smoothsurface.

initially to wet the fabric n app y the The pieces cut from the coatedfabric are or in such other suitable proportions as to provide proper,and relatively small, adherency of the desired pulverulent coating Inon-adherent Coating to the Wetted fabric adapted to be sewed to otherpieces or otherwhereby to assist in-regulating the thickness of thecoating.

After the non-adherent coating is applied wise formed into the finishedproduct with the coating thereon; and the coating receives the soil ofthe manufacturing operait IS dried and the fa ric 18 n readiness tions.When the article is finished or when for further coating applications.The next h a Stage of anufactur has been layer, 01 the film prod i gSolution from reached that it is desirable to remove the 7 p coating,the coating may be cut by a knife plied directly on top of the non-adh randan edge thereof raised, which edge is coating and in many instancesthis will be g as ed and the outer filni stripped from the done. Insomelnstanees, howev r, I p f surface in relatively large pieces. Thefilm to apply to the 'surface of the dr ed IiO carries with it aconsiderable proportion of 11. adherent coa ing asol tion contain ng g mthe non-adherent pulverulent coating, which and Water which may be In hePP PO i I, adheres thereto. The remainder of the pulof "water 100 parts,gum 2 parts. This coatverulent coating is in a more or le s powserve todery form and is removed from the surface Condition h H D- d ren h t ngto reof the fabric by mechanical means "as by a ceive the filmproducing-solution by filling revolving brush. The surface of the fabricor sealing over thepores in the non-adhen is thereby exposed in itsoriginal state of ent, ulverulent coating. cleanliness. i

A ter the conditioning coating has been If the surface of the materialto be proapplied and dried the film producing solutected is white thenthe pigment entering 1 tion is applied: ,into the composition of thenon-adherent- The film producingv solution preferably coating will bewhite also; and if the surcomprises a cellulosic solution, as apyroxyface is of a different color then the pigment. line or othercolloidal solution, but may comwill be such as to match the color of theprise any solution adapted to form a film surface whereby theprotective-coating will which will be relatively tough and tenacious,not in itself stain the surface of the matetear and wear-resisting,flexible and pliable rial to be protected. Fig. 1 is a perspectivedetail illustratin pr other material to'which it is applied, and thevarious protective layers super-imposed presenta relatively smooth outersurface on the fabric. 9

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the conditioning layer absent.

Fig. 3 is a detail illustratingthe protective covering partiallystripped from the fabric and showing the non-adherent coating clingingto the film and also to thefabno.

Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the surface of the fabric in its cleanedstate after the..pi;otective-coating has been removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating the protective coating applied to acanvas material having a water proof backing strip permanently adherentthereto.

In the figures the fabric is represented by 10, the non-adherent coatingby 50, the conditioning coating by 51 and the outermost coating or filmby 52. For some purposes it may not be necessary to employinteri'nediate or conditioning coating and Fig. 2 illustrates a sectionof the new material in which the outer coating or film 52 is applieddirectly on top of the non-adherent coating 50.

Canvas entering into the manufacture of shoes usually is made partiallywater proof by cementing a backing strip to that face adapted to beinnermost. in the finished article with an adhesive rubber cement; andthe backing strip is ada ted to be permanently united with the fabr c bysuch cement.

My protective coating is well adapted to be applied to such material,and is illustrated in Fig. 5 in which the canvas 10 has the layer ofrubber cement 53 and the hacking cloth 54 on one surface and thenonadherent coating 50 and the protecting film 52 on the other surface.

Fig. 3 illustrates a section of the protective coating partially removedfrom the body of the material and shows the manner in which thenon-adherent coating is removed, part of the non-adherent coatingclinging'to the film covering and part clinging to the surface of thefabric. After the outermost film with a large proportion of thenon-adherent coating clinging thereto has been removed that portion ofthe nonadherent coating remaining on the surface of the fabric is removed in powdery form by mechanical means as a revolving brush havingrelatively stiff bristles.

While I have illustrated my invention applied more specifically tocanvas or similar textile fabric yet it also will be applied to leatherand other material in essentially the same manner, modified, however, toadapt the invention to the specific material em-' ployed.

I claim: 5

1. As a new roduct of manufacture a flexible material 1n large sheets orin the web having a temporary protective covering for a surfacethereofcomprising a sheet of material whichis flexible to bend with thematerial without rupture, and tough to resist unintentional tearing, anda pulverulent binder weakly uniting said protective covering to saidmaterial by which said protec-. tive covering is removably adherent tothe surface of thematerial, and adapted to adhere to small pieces cutfrom the large sheets and be subsequently removed from said pieces bymechanical means toexpose the protected surface in its original state ofcleanliness.

2. Asa new product of nulnul'zuzture, a flexible material in largesheets or in the web, having a temporaryprotecting covering for asurface thereof comprising a tenacious and flexible sheet of materialuniformly applied to the surface, and a pillverulent binder weaklyuniting said protecting covering to said flexible material by which saidprotective covering is temporarily adherent to the surface and to thesurface of small pieces cut-from the large sheet, said pulverulentbinder being sulliciently adherent to flex and bend with the materialwithout being detached therefrom and removable therefrom with saidprotective covering in pieces by mechanical means.

3. As a new product of manufacture a flexible material in the largesheets or in the web comprising a flexible body portion and temporarysurface protecting means therefor comprising a flexible, colloidalsheet, and pulverulent means uniformly attaching it to the surface ofthe body portion admitting of its detachment therefrom in pieces. I

4. Asa new product of manufacture a flexible material in large sheets orin the web comprising a body portion and temporary protective means forits surface comprising a filler of pulverulent material uniformlyapplied over the surface to fill the interstices thereof characterizedby the particles composing said filler'weakly adhering to each other andto the surface of the body portion, a conditioning coating I of asubstanceto fill the pores of said pulverulent filler applied uniformlyover the surface of the pulverulent filler-,and a flexible protectivesheet uniformly applied over the surface of the conditioning coating.

5. A flexible material having temporary protecting means for its surfacecomprising a'surface covering of a pulverulent material characterized bythe particles composing it having the color of the surface to beprotected and relatively weakly adherent to each other and to thesurface of the material, and a flexible protective-coating thepulverulent covering and the remainder of the pulverulent coveringadhering to the surface of the material and removable therefrom bymechanical means.

6. A flexible textile material having temporary protecting means for itssurface comprising an initial protective coating weakly adherent to thesurface of the material and a final coating comprising a film ofcellulosic material superimposed over the surface of the initial coatingstrongly adherent to said initial coating.

7. A flexible material having temporary protecting means for its surfacecomprising an initial protective pulverulent coating weakly adherent tothe surface of the material, and a final coating superimposed on thesurface of the initial coating comprising a film of cellulosic materialstrongly adherent to said initial coating.

8. The method of temporarily protecting the surface of a flexiblematerial which consists inapplying an intermediate weak and frangiblecoating to the surface, drying the coating, and applying an outercoating of a film-forming material to the dried intermediate coating,and drying said outer coatmg.

9. The method of temporarily protecting the surface of a flexiblematerial in large sheets or in the web which consists in coating thesurface of the material with a composition containing .a liquid carrierand a pigment in suspension in the carrier, drying the coating to removethe carrier and leave a friable layer of pigment upon the surface,coating the dried friable layer with a filmproducing solution, anddrying the second coating to deposit a tenacious and adherent film onthe dried first coating.

10. The method of temporarily protecting the surface of a flexiblematerial in large sheets or in the web which consists in coating thesurface of the material with a liquid composition containing a pigmentin suspension, drying the coating to remove the carrier for the pigment,coating the surface of the dried coating with a conditioning solutioncontaining a pore-closing substance for the pigment coating, dryingthe'conditioning coating, coating the dried conditioning coatingwith 1afilm producing solution, and drying the last-named coating to deposit afilm superimposed over the previous coatings.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification.

ERNEST LIONNE.

